


Pride

by TheSongSmith



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Asexual Jack Kline, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Coming Out, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, Gay Pride, M/M, Nervous Dean Winchester, Non-Binary Castiel (Supernatural), Pansexual Sam Winchester, Pride, Supportive Sam Winchester, baby's first pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25035937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSongSmith/pseuds/TheSongSmith
Summary: Cas thinks they should all go to the local Pride March. Dean thinks Cas and Sam are just trying to push him into saying he's gay, which he IS NOT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. It never occurs to him that the angel may have other reasons for wanting to go.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 177





	Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, so my brain decided to come up with a pride fic at the VERY END OF PRIDE MONTH but I'm posting it anyway because I think it's adorable. Enjoy!

“Hell no I don’t wanna go to some stupid parade,” Dean scoffed over dinner.

Cas frowned slightly, and even though Dean wasn’t looking, he could feel Sam’s bitchface from across the table. Even Jack glanced up at his tone, looking between the two of them curiously. “It’s a march, actually,” Cas corrected. “The websites were very clear about that. But I thought it would be nice for us all to go together.”

“Well, _I_ think it sounds like fun,” Sam said smugly, ignoring the scowl Dean threw at him. “It would be good for _all_ of us.”

“I think so too,” Jack piped up cheerfully. “I’ve never been to a march before. I’d like to go.”

It took all of Dean’s strength not to growl at them. While the kid was innocent in this, Dean knew exactly what Sam was doing. Ever since his relationship with Cas had become public knowledge in the bunker, Sam had been not-so-subtly pressing him to name this...whatever it was he felt. And while he was grateful that Sam and Jack had been nothing but supportive when they’d found out about his relationship with the angel, their insistence on bringing up the gay thing, casually, as if he might not notice, was really getting on his nerves. Cas made him happy, but he definitely didn’t feel the need to label what they had. It just wasn’t necessary. “What do you even want to go for, anyway?” he asked Cas, just barely resisting the urge to throw something at his little brother.

The angel shrugged. “Now that I’m living on earth, I’ve been researching things, and I’ve found human conceptions of gender and sexuality to be fascinating. I used to think the human experience was so limited, but there’s such variation. It’s very interesting. And I...I just thought it might be fun, that’s all.” He paused for a moment before standing up and clearing his plate. “Excuse me.” There was something pained in his voice before he disappeared down the hallway, and Dean frowned, but didn’t go after him, choosing to ignore Sam’s glares as they cleaned up.

He waited until Jack had wandered off before turning to Sam. “What do you think Cas’ issue is? He was weird after dinner.”

Sam snorted, shaking his head. “You seriously don’t know what his issue is?”

“What, you think he’s pissed because I don’t wanna go to some stupid gay parade? Look, I get that you two are trying to ‘help’ me or whatever, but you can lay off. Just because I’m with Cas doesn’t mean I need to start puking up rainbows, okay? Not everything needs to be labeled.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Dean, has it ever occurred to you that not everything revolves around you?”

Dean frowned. “What possible reason would you two have to want to go to this thing if it’s not to try to make me say I’m gay or something? Which I’m not, by the way.”

Sam sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Maybe because Cas might be trying to figure some things out, and I’m trying to be a supportive friend? And you know those aren’t the only two options, right?”

“Of course I know,” Dean scoffed. “I mean, I haven’t really looked into it or anything, but...wait, wait, you think Cas wants to go because he thinks he might, like...be one of the letters or something?”

Sam shrugged. “He’s an angel in a human body, Dean. That sounds like it might be a strange experience. He lives on Earth now, and I think he desperately wants to understand how he fits in here. If exploring things like that make him feel more like he has a place to belong among humans, then I’m going to support him, even if you won’t. From what I’ve gathered from his questions, he’s looking more at the gender side of things right now. I think it would be good for him to meet people who might understand what it’s like to feel like the body other people see isn’t really who you are. But no matter where he decides he falls, I’m still going to support him. We’re family, and that’s what family does. Plus, I think it’ll be a good time. It’s...a celebration of every form of love. I don’t see anything wrong with being a part of that.”

Dean frowned for a moment, thinking that over. If he was honest with himself, he’d never actually considered that Cas might have his own reasons for wanting to go to this thing. “I guess I never thought about it that way...wait, he just...talks to you about this stuff? Why hasn’t he told me if he’s questioning all that?”

“If I had to take a wild guess, maybe it’s because any time anyone mentions anything about the LGBT+ community around you, you get all pissy and accuse them of trying to force you into something?”

Dean huffed, frowning at that. “I guess that’s fair. But you can’t deny that ever since you found out about this whole thing with me and Cas, you’ve really been pushing me to put a label on it. Not everything needs to be labeled, Sammy. I don’t need to say that I’m gay just to make you happy.”

Sam sighed softly. “Dean...okay, yeah, I may have been bringing it up more lately, but...look, it’s not my place to make you label yourself. And that’s not what I’ve ever wanted. I just...I think it would be a good idea for you to just...see what’s out there, you know? There’s a whole, wide spectrum of identities, and probably some stuff you haven’t even heard of. And I figured once you finally admitted to having feelings for Cas, you might be more open to learning. I think that you’ve never actually looked into things because you were too afraid you’d find something that applied to you. But it’s just a good thing to know, so that you can understand how other people feel. And maybe you’ll find a category that feels right to you, and you’ll feel less alone. Or maybe you won’t. Or maybe you’ll find one and still choose not to use it, because you don’t want to. But there’s nothing wrong with any of those possibilities. It won’t change anything.”

“I...I guess I could probably learn a little more about the whole thing,” Dean admitted. “Especially if Cas is figuring stuff out. It would help if I at least understood what he was talking about, right?”

Sam nodded. “I think he’d appreciate that.”

Dean sighed softly. “Well, now I feel like an ass. But thanks, for letting me know what’s up with him. I should go talk to him.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Sam agreed. “And...Dean? You know whatever you, or Cas, or even Jack decide to call yourselves, or not call yourselves...you know it doesn’t change anything, right? We’ll still all be family. I’d still love you all just as much.”

Dean flushed slightly, rolling his eyes. “You’re such a sap...but yeah. Thanks.”

He wandered down the hall toward his bedroom, finding Cas curled up on their bed. Upon closer inspection, he found that the angel was asleep, though he still looked angry. While Cas didn’t exactly require sleep, he was able to when he wanted, although tonight it seemed he’d fallen asleep in order to avoid Dean (which was a level of passive aggressiveness Dean had to admire, if he was honest), and he didn’t even stir when Dean climbed into bed beside him. Dean watched the even rise and fall of his breaths for a few minutes, thinking through everything that Sam had said. It did hurt a little, that Cas had felt more comfortable talking to Sam about this stuff, though he understood the reasons. No matter what else he may or may not be, Dean was Cas’ boyfriend first, and he owed it to the angel to get his head out of his ass long enough to at least try to understand what he was going through. Cas was always happy to support him when he needed it, and it was about time Dean returned the favor. With that in mind, he picked up his laptop and started to type.

  
  


* * *

  
  
When Cas stirred in the morning, Dean was already awake, sipping a mug of coffee in bed. He smiled, tugging the angel into a kiss. “Morning.”

Cas hummed, happily accepting the extra mug Dean offered. “Good morning...”

Dean smiled, though there was something slightly nervous in it. “Hey, I, uh...I wanted to say I’m sorry, for last night. I know I was an ass, and I didn’t mean to upset you.”

The angel shrugged slightly, staring down into his cup. “That’s alright. I know it’s something you’re sensitive about, and I didn’t intend to make you uncomfortable. But I appreciate the apology.”

Dean nodded, rubbing at the back of his neck for a moment. “Yeah, about that...I, uh...I kinda wanted to tell you something.”

Cas looked up curiously, raising an eyebrow at him. “Alright...”

“Well, I...since you were asleep last night, I...figured I’d do some research of my own. I mean, if we’re going to do this thing, I should probably know a little bit about it, right?”

Cas perked up a bit, nodding. “I suppose that would be a good idea. So you’ve decided to come with us?”

Dean smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I...I want to go. It’s something you really want to do, and I’m your boyfriend, I want to support you. But, um...I was looking through what all the different letters mean, and...I thought I should let you know that I think I’m probably, uh...I’m bisexual. Which, I guess, I always kinda figured but I...I’ve never actually said it out loud before, so. Yeah.”

When he managed to drag his eyes up from the comforter, the surprise on the angel’s face was starting to melt into a grin. “I’m honored that you felt you could tell me that,” he murmured, taking Dean’s hand gently. “You know, just because that’s the category you feel you fall into, it doesn’t mean you have to identify yourself that way to other people, if you’re not comfortable.”

Dean chuckled, kissing him softly. “Yeah, I had that panic while you were asleep. I always kinda thought that finally picking a label would feel...like a death sentence. Like it would change everything about who I was. But actually, it’s...sorta nice, to know there’s so many other people out there who feel the way I feel. I mean, I don’t think I’m ready to, like, shout it from the rooftops or anything, but...I’m bisexual. And that’s not a bad thing. I’m still me.”

Cas smiled, hugging Dean tightly. “I love you so much,” he murmured. “And I’m so glad that you shared this with me. I hope you know that, whatever you identify as, I will always love you.”

“I know,” Dean smiled. “You’ve always supported me, even when I’ve been kind of an asshole, and that’s why I know I can talk to you about this stuff.” He paused, stroking Cas’ cheek lightly. “You know it’s the same for you, right? That I’ll love you no matter what?”

The angel actually blushed, nodding slightly. “Actually, I...I’ve been considering my own identity lately...it’s a bit difficult to figure out which categories may apply, being that I’m not a human...”

Dean nodded, brushing his hair back gently. “I can imagine. I’m sure it’s not easy, trying to figure out where you fit in, in the human world. Hell, it’s hard for people who are human.”

“It is a bit jarring at times. I do find myself relating to one term in particular, more than the others.” Cas paused, reaching into the nightstand on his side of the bed and coming back with a small flag, the yellow, white, purple and black bars bright and cheery.

“Oh, I saw that one, that’s, uh...non-binary, right?” Dean asked.

Cas blushed, nodding. “Angels don’t exactly have a concept of gender, at least not the way humans do. We don’t reproduce like you do, so it’s never really been something that applies to us. I suppose the closest thing we have would be different classes of angels, like archangels, seraphs, footsoldiers...but even then, we have many more than two, and our rank doesn’t affect as much about our existence as gender does for humans. I know that people see me as a male, because that is how my vessel presents, and I’m fairly used to that, but I don’t think I identify as male or as female, exactly.”

Dean hummed thoughtfully. “I guess I never really thought about how angels viewed that sort of stuff. So does that mean you’d be, uh...what’s that word...agender, then?” He asked. He raised an eyebrow at Cas’ surprised expression. “What? I can google things. I kinda fell down a rabbit hole.”

Cas smiled. “I think that is probably the most accurate description, seeing as the concept of gender as a whole is strange to me. It is reassuring to know there are humans who feel the same way, even if it may be for different reasons.”

“Okay, cool,” Dean nodded. “Are there, um...I mean, pronouns are an important thing for non-binary people, right? Should we be using something different?”

The angel hummed. “For some people they are. But right now I don’t think I really mind using masculine pronouns or neutral ones. It is common for angels to use the pronouns associated with their vessels when they speak in English, so it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. But I’ll let you know if I want to try using something else. I appreciate you asking.”

Dean blushed, shrugging slightly. Well, I...I may not be an expert about this kinda thing, but...I love you, and I want you to be happy. So I may screw up sometimes, but I can at least try.”

Cas smiled, kissing him softly. “I have something for you.” He reached back into the drawer, pulling out another flag, this one with pink, purple and blue stripes. “It’s yours,” Cas explained. “I thought you might want one someday, and they were having a two-for-one sale...”

Dean laughed, taking the flag and waving it between them for a moment. “Thank you. I love it.”

Cas hummed happily, settling against him. “You know, just because you know doesn’t mean you have to tell Sam, or Jack, or anyone. Lots of straight people go to Pride. You wouldn’t be out of place at all if you didn’t want to tell anyone yet.”

“Yeah, but...I mean, I think the cat’s kind of out of the bag for me, at least with Sam and Jack.”

Cas chuckled. “It does seem like you were the last person to accept it. But that doesn’t mean we have to discuss it with them, if you’re not comfortable with it yet.”

Dean nodded, hugging him closer. “I’ll think about it...”

  
  


* * *

  
  
On Sunday, the four of them piled into the car early. Sam and Jack chatted happily in the back, but there was a pit in Dean’s stomach, and the small flag Cas had given him was burning a hole in his pocket. He hadn’t yet worked up the courage to tell the rest of them, and the closer they got, the more he felt like throwing up. Cas looked over at him knowingly, smiling softly and squeezing his hand lightly. It helped a little, but he was still kind of freaked out as they parked. They walked down the street, seeing more and more rainbows appear as they got closer, the music getting louder. “It’s beautiful,” Jack murmured, before promptly wandering off to go investigate the booths that were set up along the sidewalk.

“I got him,” Sam chuckled, walking after him. “We’ll meet you back here.”

Cas smiled, squeezing Dean’s hand. “Are you okay?”

Dean nodded quickly, taking a breath. “Yeah, yeah of course. What do you want to do?”

Cas hummed, looking around for a moment before tugging him over to a face painter. He deliberated for a long time before finally settling on a heart with the same stripes as his flag. He looked so excited about it that Dean couldn’t help but smile, and when the woman at the table turned to him and asked “Anything for you, sweetheart?” he knew what he was going to do.

The paint itched slightly as the heart dried on his cheek, but it was quickly forgotten when Cas tugged him into a kiss. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah," he murmured, taking the flag out of his pocket. “I think I am.”

“Dean, Cas, look!” Jack said as he wandered back over to them, waving a black, grey, white and purple-striped flag excitedly. “The woman at the flag booth was very helpful. She helped me find one.”

“That’s great, kid,” Dean chuckled.

He saw Sam pushing through the crowd toward them, and swallowed back the urge to vomit as his eyes fell to the paint on Dean’s cheek. But Sam just smiled. “Well, don’t you two look festive?” He turned his head up the street toward the louder music, which is when Dean noticed that Sam seemed to have found the face painter as well, the pink, yellow, and blue bars standing out against his skin. He blushed when he noticed Dean’s eyes on the paint, giving him a small shrug.

Dean smiled, shrugging back. “I think it’s starting. Come on, let’s move up the street a little, we’ll get a better view from there.”

They settled into a place on the sidewalk to watch the festivities, and when Dean looked over Cas had the biggest grin on his face. “Happy, angel?” He half-shouted over the music.

Cas laughed, nodding and happily pulling him into a kiss.


End file.
